THIS video clip shows a fisherman cutting 34 pups from the belly of a shark caught on a fishing expedition.

The footage was captured by onlooker Jeff Bratcher, who was on holiday in the city of Destin, Florida, where the 13ft hammerhead shark was brought to shore by the crew aboard sport-fishing boat 'Phoenix'.

On their Facebook page, the Phoenix team wrote: "We would have released it, but the shark died during the long battle."

In the clip, a crew member can be seen cutting open the shark's belly before removing the dozens of pups from her stomach.

The fisherman pulls out 34 pups from the Hammerhead shark (Image: Jeff Bratcher/YouTube)

Florida state law prohibits the capture of hammerheads, and states that any that die 'on the line' must be returned to sea, according to EarthTouch News.

But this particular endangered creature was fished in federal waters, where the protections do not apply.

Pregnant female sharks are particularly vulnerable to sport-fishing - as their size makes them a prized catch for fisherman.